Shutter construction.



PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907.

J. BRAUGHLI. SHUTTER CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED 00w. 23,1905.

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PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907'.

J. BRAU QHLI. SHUTTER CONSTRUCTION. APPLIOATION FILED OOT. 23.1905.

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' Wit" 1 sible consistent with the results accomplished citizen of theUnited States, residing ployed, and by my invention also it is possi- JAGOB' BRAUCHLI, OF

Specification of Letters Patent.

HAMP' ON, VIRGINIA.

' SHUTTER CONSTRUCTION.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907.

Application tiled October 28, 1905 Serial No. 284.069.

To (Ml whom, it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB BRAUcnLi, a at Hampton, in the county ofElizabeth City and State of Virginia, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Shutter Constructions, of which the following isa specification. 7

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide anim rovedconstruction of shutter-slat and Worlier therefor, which will do awaywith the expensive operation of boring and mortising the wooden framesof shutters to accommodate wooden slats, as is now necessary, and toprovide an improved means of mounting and securing the slats in place inthe wooden frame. The omission of the boring and mortising operation inthe construction of the shutter is a great advantage, as it simplifiesthe manuacture and reduces the cost of the shutter. By my invention theslats can be readily mounted and secured in place after the frames havebeen completely assembled, which is a feature not possessed by the ordinary wooden shutters now commonly em-- le to use the various parts of myimproved slat construction for repairing cld shutters that are now inuse, thus increasing the value of m invention considerably.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter in which the various parts are so arranged, combined, andconstructed that repairs can be made whenever necessary with ease andwithout the assistance of skilled labor, in which the parts may beinexpensively manufactured and economically assembled, so as to reducethe cost of the shutters or blinds as much as posby my invention, and afurther object is to provide simple and eii'ieient improvements in themeans for connecting theactuatingrod of my invention with my improvedconstruction of slats, in lieu of the objectionable staple connectionnow commonly employed,

with a view of preventing any or all of the slats from becoming loose ordisconnected from the actuating-rod.

The great ease with which the rods and slats break apart with thepresent method of construction is one of the most objectionable as wellas annoying features of .the shutters now in use, as it is im ossible inthe present s ective view of a construction to keep t em in properworking i order for any length of time, and to overcome thisobjectionable feature in a simple, ellicient, and durable manner is oneof the principal aims in developing my invention and the resultsaccomplished thereby, and

a further object of the invention is to provide improved means wherebythe metallic slats employed in carrying out my invention will whenturned to a closed position practically form air and water tight jointswith each other, a result not obtainable with wooden slats, and at thesame time present practically the same appearance as the old woodenslats now in use.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of ashutter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view, on a largerscale, sliowin the rolling slat portion of the shutter. Fig. 3 is avertical section thereof with the slats in closed position. Fig. 4 is asimilar view with the slats open. Fig, 5 is an enlarged horizontalsection of a portion of the device, the section being taken aproximately on the line X X of Fig. 4. ig. 6 is a detail erportion ofone of the s ats. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view illustrating theshifting rod and the plate to which it is adjustably attached. Fig. 8 isa detail sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a detailfragmentary view illustratingthe application of my invention to ashuttor-frame of the present mortised construction. Fig. 10 is a detailview illustrating the rib on the. slats.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Referringto the drawings, the referencenumeral 1 designates my improvedslats, each one of which is formed of suitably light and stiff sheetmetal, which may be unched out flat by a punching-machine, wit i'anapertured ear 2 at each end thereof, and then subsequently shaped sothat the ears 2 will extend at right angles to the main portion of theslat. he slat alsois so shaped at its edges that it will be curvedtransversely, as shown in the drawings, and by this means the slat willnot only be stiffened, so that ery light material may be employed, butwhen the slats are assembled the said rounded edges, which aredesignated .4, when one overlaps the other will present from the outsideof the shutter an a pearance very simi lar to the old wooden s atconstruction now commonly employed. These slats 1 may be assembled inthe shutter-frame 5 after the latter has been entirely constructed bymeans of pins or screws 6, which are inserted through the apertured ears2 in the wooden sides of the frame. For the lower or rolling set of theslats the pins or screws are driven into the frame in such a manner asto permit the slats to turn freely about their longitudinal axes on thepins, and for the upper or stationary slats it is only necessary todrive the pins or screws farther into the wood until they bind againstthe ears in order a hold the stationary slats in the proper adjustedpositions. is also constructed, preferably, of sheet metal and may beconveniently stamped out and shaped, and it comprises a structure U-shaped in cross-section with a pair 'of a ertured ears 8 for each one ofthe rollingslats 1. As a means for pivotally connectin the said slatswith the actuating-rod 7 I iave provided a sheet-metal ear 9, which iscomosed of a piece of sheet metal bent or buckled intermediate its endsand with the buckled portion pressed closely together and provided withan aperture and with ends ent outwardly and in opposite directions andextending at angles to the intermediate buckled portion. B this meanstwo oppositely-extending p ates 10 are provided that are riveted to oneof the bent edges 4 of a slat, preferably at the middle thereof, andthere is also provided an apertured rojection or lug 11, which isembraced by t e ears 8 of the actuating-rod 7. As will be seen byspecial reference to Fig; 6, the sheet-metal ears 9 are provided atopposite edges at the juncture with their outwardly-extending plates 10with recesses, which facilitate the curving of the plates 10, as shownin said figure, to conform to the rounded edges of the slats to whichthey are secured.

As a preferred means for pivotally securing the lug 1 1 between the ears8 I provide a rivet, which is formed with a smooth shaft 13, insertedthrough the aperturedlug 1 1 so that the latter may turn thereon with aminimum of friction, and. said rivet is provided with heads, one ofwhich is therewith initially, while t e other is formed after the rodhas been inserted through the ears 8 by mashing the outer end of therivet over the outer surface of the adjacent ear. By this means acomparatively frictionless and secure. connection is effected betweenthe actuating-rod and each one of the ivoted slats 1, so that bymanipulation of the rod the slats'may be shifted to differentopen'poreferably formed The actuating-rod 7 for the slats tion withsitions and also closed down, so that the edge of one will overlap theadjoining surface of the slat next below it. In order to secure a water,snow, or practically air tight joint between the slats when closed, eachone of the slats may be provided with a longitudinally-extending rib 14,over which the round edge 4 of theslat next above fits. If desired, theribs 14 may be so located with respect .to the coacting edges of theslat next above that the lower rounded edges 4 when the slats are in aclosed position will bind somewhat over the ribs to effect a tightjoint.

In order to hold the slats in their adjusted position, there is provideda plate 15, which may also be for ed of sheet metal and provided with anattaching portion 16, designed to be-secured by screws or the like tothe lower rail of the shutter-frame, the main portion of the plate 15'extending outwardlyom said rail and being provided with a curved slot,within which an adjusting-pin 17 is designedto work, said pin beingprovided with a thumb-nut to bind it in different adjusted positions.The adjusting-pin 17 is mounted at the lower end of the-actuatingrod 7,so that the latter may be held at different elevations to h'old'theslats ad'usted by simply turning the thumb-nut of t e actuating-pinafter the latter has beenadjusted in the slat.

As shown in Fig. 9, my invention, as stated at the outset of thedescription, is capable of application to shutter-frames employing theordinary wooden slats, and I'have shown in said figure the means wherebysuch application may be made. wooden plug 18 in the mortises which-areprovided for the wooden slats it is evident that the ears 2 of myimproved construction of slat may be attached at said point and theimproved slat substituted for the wooden slat. It is manifest that ashutter-frame may be entirely fitted out with my improved constructionof slat and actuating means whether or not the frame of the shutter bealready provided with the mortises for the ordinary wooden slats, andthat my invention is alsoap licable to any form of shutterframe, altough it, is preferred when constructing the invention outright toprovide a shutter-frame without mortising, for by so doing economies inmanufacture are realized.

From the foregoing description, in connecthe accompanying drawings, itwill be seen that I have provided a simple and durable form of metallicslat construction for shutters which is a plicable to any form ofshutter-frame, whidfi is durable in construction and efficient in oeration and which can be readily assemble without the employment ofskilled labor.

Havin thus described the invention, what is claime as new is- A shuttercomprising a frame, metallic By simply driving the slats the edges ofwhich are rounded correspondingly and the ends of which are formed 7with integral ofi'set ears designed for pivotal side edges of said striplying flush with the margin o'l the r0undedportion of the slats, a I

U-shaped rod provided at intervals with ears extending at right anglesfrom its edges and 15 embracing the apertured double portion of the'saidmetallic strips and pivotally connected thereto, and means for holdingsaid rod in difi'erent adjusted ositions.

In testimony whereof f in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB BRAUCHLI.

Witnesses:

ALB. F. GANZ, LoUIs J. STURSBERG.

afliX my signature 20

